Lando Norris presses McLaren to resolve MCL60 stability issues despite stellar showing at the Austrian GP

After finishing P4 at the Austrian GP, Lando Norris expressed feelings of ‘crashing every corner.

Lando Norris presses McLaren to resolve MCL60 stability issues despite stellar showing at the Austrian GP

McLaren driver Lando Norris (Image credit: Sports Illustrated)

McLaren’s Lando Norris lauds the team’s notable improvement at the Austrian GP. After penalties were struck to other drivers, the Brit classified in P4 on Sunday. Equipped with upgrades for the Austrian race, Norris delivered a standout performance in his MCL60. Nevertheless, he acknowledges the presence of ongoing challenges with the car that continue to persist throughout the season.

Lando Norris admitted to the media that he had concerns about the race pace potentially being a significant letdown. However, he acknowledged that the pace was better than anticipated. He mentioned that despite the improvement, there were still areas that needed work on the MCL60. Addressing Fernando Alonso‘s late-race speed advantage, Norris expressed feeling on the verge of crashing in each corner.

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“I was a bit nervous coming into the race, honestly, that the race pace was going to let us down a lot today,” Norris conceded told the media. “But actually, it was better than I was expecting. Fernando was clearly quicker at the end by quite a chunk every lap, and I’m almost crashing every corner,” the Brit added.

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Also read: George Russell admits that Lando Norris’ pace was a ‘big surprise’ for Mercedes at the Austrian GP

Despite new upgrades, Lando Norris highlights persistent car unpredictability issues in MCL60

Lando Norris driving the newly upgraded MCL60 (Image credit: FormulaRapida.net)

Norris demonstrated a strong performance in the Austrian GP with upgrades to his MCL60, finishing closely behind Red Bull and Ferrari. This marked a significant improvement compared to McLaren’s earlier season struggles. Lando Norris had previously completed P5 after a chaotic Australian Grand Prix.

When asked about the reason behind his feeling of near-crashing in every corner, Norris attributed it to the ongoing fundamental issues with the MCL60’s unpredictability. He emphasized the need to push the car to its limits and beyond but highlighted the necessity for adjustments in the driving approach. Despite the increased pace, the persistent issues raised throughout the year remained unchanged.

 “The car just goes quick around every corner, but the way you have to drive it isn’t exactly the same, which is kind of our next issue to tackle,” Lando confessed. “Things that we’ve been complaining about all year are still the same, we’re just at a higher level [of pace],” he added.

The Austrian GP was just the first part of the three-part upgrade introduced by the Woking team. The next haul will be at the British Grand Prix, and the Hungarian GP will see the last of McLaren’s upgrade. The Papaya team is currently P6 in the constructors’ standings ahead of the Hass F1 team.

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